RC124 MayJun 2026 - Magazine - Page 30
CONSTRUCTION
THE PROMISE OF COLLABORATION
Unlocking the potential of modular construction
by David Jackson
ANADA’S HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE sectors are facing
unprecedented pressures, from rising demand and
a昀昀ordability challenges to keeping up with government targets for faster delivery. Modular housing
and prefabrication o昀昀er a promising solution. But
success doesn’t come automatically—it requires the
right delivery model.
With more than 40 years of experience in the
construction industry, I can say with certainty: a
traditional Design-Bid-Build approach does not work
for modular construction. Modular and prefabrication
projects succeed when owners, designers, modular
manufacturers and contractors collaborate from the outset.
Without early alignment, project owners risk missing
opportunities and adding complexity.
C
Modular construction vs. prefabrication
The terms modular construction and prefabrication often get
used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same.
PREFABRICATION refers broadly to building components
manufactured o昀昀-site, such as wall panels, roof trusses or
bathroom pods, that crews later assemble on-site.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION is a type of prefabrication.
Manufacturers build entire three-dimensional volumes,
or ‘modules’ in a factory setting. Each module contains
昀椀nished elements such as framing, drywall, 昀氀ooring,
plumbing and even 昀椀xtures, before crews transport it to a
site, attach it to a foundation and stitch modules together
to form a complete building.
This di昀昀erence matters. Since modules arrive on-site
fully built, you shift a greater portion of labour o昀昀-site,
shortening schedules dramatically and reducing exposure
to weather and site risks.
David Jackson is a Project
Director with Colliers
Project Leaders.
Four ways to unlock success with modular housing
Modular and prefabricated construction change
how a昀昀ordable housing projects—also referred to as
social, supportive or community housing projects—
come together. They blend design, manufacturing,
transportation and on-site assembly into a more integrated
process. To succeed, project owners need more than
technical knowledge—they need a collaborative delivery
model that aligns project phases and teams, from planning
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and design to tender, construction and delivery.
Collaborative delivery models such as Progressive
Design-Build (PDB) and Integrated Project Delivery
(IPD) provide the framework for this alignment, creating
the accountability, trust and early manufacturer and
contractor involvement required for modular projects to
achieve their full potential.
There are four key factors that can signi昀椀cantly impact
whether a modular or prefabricated project will succeed
optimally.
1. EARLY COLLABORATION
Modular and prefabrication project owners require a
clear understanding of the impacts of design choices on
the logistics of transporting modules or panels from a
factory to a project site. For example, some factories are
limited to manufacturing modules of a certain size, while
others face transport restrictions. If an architect designs
an 18-foot room without consulting the manufacturer,
there is a risk the design may be too large to transport to
a site.
This is why collaborative delivery models align so
well with modular housing projects. Unlike traditional
methods such as Design-Bid-Build (DBB) where teams
work in sequence, modular construction requires design,
manufacturing, transportation and on-site assembly
to move in lockstep. The factory may rough in the
mechanical and electrical components of the module
while the site team completes foundations. Unless those
scopes align, you lose the speed and e昀케ciency that
modular or prefabricated construction promises.
THE TAKEAWAY: Engage with your chosen modular
or prefabrication manufacturer, designer, project
management team and contractors from day one via
a collaborative delivery model. Doing so enables you
to align design with manufacturing, logistics and site
construction to avoid wasted time and costly redesigns.
2. EXPERIENCED TEAMS
Modular and prefabricated construction accounts for
approximately 7.5 per cent of Canada’s total construction
market, with an anticipated annual compound growth
rate of 昀椀ve percent between now and 2029, driven
primarily by the lodging, education and multifamily
segments. The potential is encouraging; however, the
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